How the money actually flows

BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) is a voucher program with limited/means-tested eligibility. Awards are up to lesser of avg per-pupil or tuition (income/grade adjusted); ~$3,000 avg (derived, not official). Payments run through Maryland State Dept. of Education (MSDE) online application. Confirm the current details on the official program site before acting.

1. Confirm how the money flows. Maryland families use BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) funds through Maryland State Dept. of Education (MSDE) online application to pay approved schools/providers. Your job is to be set up to receive them cleanly.

2. Get your business paperwork in order. Legal entity, tax ID (EIN), and proof you are a real operating school.

3. Meet the state requirements. MD nonpublic schools need an MSDE Certificate of Approval (facilities/curriculum/standards); 'registered church-exempt' is a separate exempt category.

4. Apply as an approved provider. Must hold MSDE Certificate of Approval AND already participate in the Nonpublic Textbook Program (prerequisite gate) to apply for BOOST.

5. Keep clean invoicing & records. Program spending is documented and audited. Clear invoices and audit-ready records are how you get paid and stay clear.

Important for Maryland: Income-limited voucher. Textbook-Program participation is a real prerequisite hurdle.

The one step that decides whether you get funded in Maryland

We read the Maryland rules and wrote up exactly what gates the money, what the law says word for word, and where founders stall.

Read the Maryland funding gate →

Want us to walk the Maryland approval with you?

Get set up in Maryland

Maryland puts a state approval step in front of the money, so setup here takes more work than in a state without that gate. Both options are one-time. We never take a cut of your tuition.

Launch Kit · $1,450. Your Maryland playbook: every step in the right order, the document each one needs, and the operator tools (roster, attendance, tuition billing, evidence vault). You do the filing.

Get the Launch Kit · $1,450

Concierge · $2,950. Everything in the Launch Kit, plus we do the ESA-vendor registration with you in a working session, inside Maryland’s own platform.

Get Concierge · $2,950

Secure checkout via Stripe. We email you within one business day to confirm your state and school. Guidance, not legal advice.

Or start free: the Maryland checklist

Free: the Maryland microschool starter checklist

Where to begin, what your state requires, and how funding works. No fluff.

Questions founders ask

Do you take a cut of my scholarship money?

No. You pay us once, and never a per-student cut.

Do I have to use a specific curriculum?

No. MicroschoolLaunchKit is the compliance and operations layer — use whatever curriculum or model you want. We handle the paperwork around it, not the teaching.

What exactly is ESA / voucher approval?

Many states let families use public scholarship funds for private-school tuition. Getting approved as a provider/vendor is how that money reaches your school. We walk you through it, state by state.

Do you take a cut of my tuition?

Never. You pay us once. Your tuition is 100% yours — unlike franchise networks that take a fee for every student.

Is this legal advice?

No. We give plain-language guidance and sourced requirements, not legal advice. For legal-sensitive decisions we point you to an education attorney.

Official sources (verify current requirements): marylandpublicschools.org · marylandpublicschools.org

How to get funded in Maryland